Academy Teams

Captain Caitlin ready to shoot down Jets

Central Coast Mariners Wesfield W-League captain Caitlin Cooper is confident her side will bounce back with a victory in the F3 derby against Newcastle Jets this Saturday afternoon, following the side’s narrow loss against front-runner Brisbane Roar last Sunday.

Central Coast Mariners Wesfield W-League captain Caitlin Cooper is confident her side will bounce back with a victory in the F3 derby against Newcastle Jets this Saturday afternoon, following the side-s narrow loss against front-runner Brisbane Roar last Sunday.

Cooper, in her second season as Mariners- captain, was pleased with her side-s showing against the Roar, and is positive about its chances this weekend.

"We played a great match, knowing that they are the defending champions and possess a side full of International players," said Cooper.

"Against Newcastle Jets though, we will have moved on from the Roar loss, and we will be out to maintain our positive start to the season."

The Jets sit in sixth-spot on the league ladder - five-points behind Central Coast - though the Mariners- captain will ensure her side approaches the match with full concentration.

"The Jets provide us with a "derby" match, and although they have started slowly in terms of results, we can-t underestimate them.

"We do need a win, it is a short competition, and you can-t allow for too many slip-ups. The girls will be ready to go this weekend, knowing that the Jets deserve total respect going into the match," said Cooper.

A strong point in this current Mariners- side has been the well-organised defensive displays that have put an end to the nightmares of W-League season one, where the side constantly leaked goals. Cooper-s presence has paid huge dividends in this regard.

"We have worked on our defence and our results, and performances, do show this," said Cooper.

"Playing alongside Rachael (Doyle) is great, we have built a really strong understanding and I can confidently say that our experience from the first season at the club has really helped in this second campaign.

"The addition of Jillian (Loyden) in goal too, who brings with her a wealth of experience, adds further confidence to our backline," Cooper said.

In her second season as skipper, the inaugural Mariners Westfield W-League captain in the club-s history is enjoying every moment.

"It is an honour for me to lead the Central Coast Mariners and I am really enjoying the leadership role, along with my football.

"This is really a career highlight for me, considering that this Mariners side (season one and two) is the first Mariners side in the history of the W-League. I look to get the best out of myself and all of the girls on the field, and we hope to produce something real special by the end of the season," said Cooper.

The Mariners sit in second-spot after three Rounds of the competition, and with a short competition, no errors are permitted if Caitlin Cooper is to lead the group to reaching the goals set in pre-season.

"Our aim is to definitely to reach the finals; we will be disappointed with anything less. I do believe we have the squad, and confidence, to get to a Grand Final and challenge for the title and that will obviously be our goal this season.

"However, anything less than reaching the top four will be very disappointing," Cooper said.

On a personal level Cooper-s immediate ambitions revolve around the Mariners, though the Matildas is certainly a huge point of interest for this 21-year-old defender.

"As all the girls strive for, I too have ambitions to do well with the Mariners this season and keep striving for a Matildas call-up in the future.

"That is our goal, and we will all continue to buckle down and work hard to achieve this, though I would just love to one day play in the Matildas side, no doubt about that," said Cooper.

The Central Coast Mariners Westfield W-League side takes on Newcastle Jets this Saturday, 25 October at Wanderers Oval, Broadmeadow. Kick-off is at 4:00pm.

The Mariners Westfield W-League side will feature in a double header with the Mariners- Hyundai A-League side next Saturday, 31 October, when they take on Canberra United at Canberra Stadium, Kick-off is at 4:15pm, while the Hyundai A-League side takes on Adelaide United, kick-off at 7:00pm. Tickets for this double header are available online by clicking here or by phoning 132 849.

Mariners Memberships for the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season are available online here or by phoning 1300 767 442.